Aquarius Super New Moon is here! Pardon the ridiculous amount of exclamation points, but I'm pretty damn excited about this one. Exact conjunction between Moon and Sun at 10 degrees 55 minutes Aquarius is January 30th, 2014 at 1:37pm as the Green Wooden Horse gallops through the puddles of Black Water Snake. In this Moon Game, it is time to seed intentions of releasing Aquarius shadow and anchoring Aquarius light. In the shadow we find the runaway hiding out in emotional detachment and intellectual snobbery of academic assholery. Goodbye, good sir. And in the light…

Aquarius is the highest Air! I mean this not as a statement of hierarchy, but simply to say that the Libra diplomat is where the Air grounds to Earth and Aquarius flies through the ethers at the other end of the spectrum where the mind licks the flames of the Fires above. Aquarius is Service to Self Growth through conscious expansion: the hermit in the cave meditating to the point of rainbow body astral projection into the galactic netherlandia eagle-eye overview of All That Is… the blast off into the cosmic cradle of astral intelligence!

We were told to "stop spacing out and get back to work!" when we were caught fleeing the forced focus by diving into the dots of the classroom ceiling and drooling our way through delicious daydreams. Decades later, we fold ourselves into pretzels and “om” for hours trying to retrieve the strength of imagination that was destroyed by the drill sergeants. Revisiting those realms requires us now to tear the tethers of conscious limitation. Away we go!

Once we blast off into the beautiful beyond and open our minds to the miracle of ethereal intellect, we will unlock the second stage of the Aquarian Mysteries. We will become the eccentric mad scientist bringer of new paradigms. I’m talking about Prometheus who stole fire from the Gods to give to his creation… us. This fire is not only technology, it is the intellect capable of creating it. It is one of our greatest gifts. One that reminds us we are divine creators. Did Prometheus not create us in the image of the Gods?

Aquarius is way out of the box, baby. In fact, there just isn’t a box at all for this revolutionary change agent. Our Aquarian intent to bring a new way to community demands we release the rules of conformity and let our freak flags fly. When we do, we will have the goods we need to usher in the dawning of the new age that is Now.

Service to Self Growth is difficult for us to pursue because we’ve been taught it is selfishness. The demonstrator, the revolutionary, the chronic Congressional letter-writer has little respect for the hermit in the cave. What’s she doing up there? Doesn’t he know the Earth is a mess? Come back and get to work, hermit! Get a gun in your hand! A picket sign for heaven’s sake! A pen for the political pleas at least! Do something!!!

Oh, but they don’t realize that the hermit IS doing something. Something big. Something more. Something revolutionary. They don’t understand Service to Self Growth IS a Service to Spirit, that it IS a Service to Others because they don’t understand the nature of Hermetic wisdom, which states As Above, So Below; As Within, So Without. I take these principles quite literally. I take them to mean the conflicts of the outer world are merely reflections of our inner conflicts. If this is true, we heal the world by healing ourselves. We honor the world by honoring ourselves… our light AND our shadow. LOVE YOURSELF, LOVE THE WORLD! Into the cave, Aquarians! And when the work (play) is done, we will return with the gifts we have been given by the astral above. We will bring them back to community, but with our caves ever intact… just in case.

First Quarter Moon week starts February 6th in Taurus. Conflict and Resolution will come from the Earth. Will our rocket ships be too tethered to the ground? Will we have to battle the voice that tells us to slow down? Will the rooted lightning rod attempt to divert the bolt of revolution? Good luck! “Get out of the head, get into the heart and body,” you said? Fiddlesticks! The intellectual revolution begins now! Hours after the First Quarter Moon, Mercury will Retrograde in Pisces then dive back into the squiggly Aquarius waves. And all respects to the Bearer, but those waves ain't Water. It’s all about the Air.

Illumination comes from the Leo Full Moon week starting February 14th. Isn’t that sweet? Time to write Valentines to your magical mind. Give flowers and chocolates of Leo pride, confidence, and self-love to your beautiful brain. Be mine? BE MIND! On the 18th, the North Lunar Node will ingress into Libra from Scorpio. The forward direction of our collective consciousness is rising from the Waters into the Winds. And it will be there for 19 months. It’s all about the Air.

February 22nd starts the Integration week from the Sagittarian Seeker of Intuitive Truth in Service to Spirit. We come forth from the cave with new models of conscious community. We return with blueprints for better being. On February 28th, the last day of this Aquarian Moon Cycle, shortly after the Moon crosses His path, Mercury will station Direct and our minds will step out of the Waters they have bathed within durimg the past two years of Water Sign Retrogrades. It’s time for a blow dry. Two years of Air Sign Retrogrades begin now and we carry the Cosmic consciousness of Aquarius astronaut until the June Retrograde cycle completes… in Gemini. It’s all about the Air.

A new revolution is beginning… an intellectual revolution. Whisper in Revere’s ears that the Green Horse is saddled and ready to ride. Actually, forget that guy. It’s time for Einstein riding a beam of light dream in a Tesla time machine. Just what will the new Prometheus bring? I believe it’s time for the flameless fire of free energy and its first sign will be seen when we

Here's the deal... I sat down to type a quick thing about the coming Libra Moon Cycle, but sometimes when I open the channel all sorts of astro-action floods in. If you are at all astrologically inclined, please join me on a wild investigation through time...

The Moon returned to the sign of the Ceremonial Priestess just before noon today, 10.1.13, to initiate the last archetype within the integration stage of the Virgo Lunisolar Cycle that began with the Virgo New Moon on 9.5.13. This cycle has been a time to devote ourselves to our Sacred Work and to further our realization of independence. Or better yet, as I like to say... Undependence. A keyword I use in my personal path to securing spiritual sovereignty.

This evening at 6:06pm, The Libra Sun reached perfect Square alignment with Pluto as the Virgo Moon aligned to Pisces Neptune in near perfect Opposition. Meanwhile, Scorpio Mercury rapidly approaches the Saturn / North Node Conjunction in Sextile to Pluto and Trine to Chiron, while Scorpio Venus remains Square to Leo Mars.

There is a glyph decoder and descriptions of key astrological alignments (shown by colored lines) below to help you stay afloat in this bubble of astro-babble. For now... WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???

The Planets are reflecting the seriously dynamic spiritual awakening available to us during this time of rEvolution on our planet and they are guiding us towards manifesting a beautiful new way.

The most significant stellar story of the present is the Turning of the Ages (the whole 2012 trip, which actually runs 1975-2018 according to the best astronomical analysis I've studied). It is shown astronomically by Winter Solstice Sunrise aligning to Galactic Center (called the Great Creator Mother Hunab Ku by the Mayans and called the black hole at our galaxy's core by Science). This is a key indicator that the Age of Aquarius is dawning and it has been given many, many titles by the many mystery traditions past and present. Perhaps the title that most resonates at this time is the "Sun on the Cross." When time stops, I will make a YouTube movie about this because it's extremely hard to describe without a bunch of pictures and diagrams. For now, I'll just say IT'S A HUGE DEAL. We've incarnated on Earth to participate within the ending of a 24,000 year cycle and the beginning of the next. Everything is changing including the archetypes and the planets themselves. We are here now with a purpose. And it's go time!

This Turning of the Ages is accelerated by the June 2012 - November 2015 Uranus-Pluto Square (90 degree alignment). Pluto is the Planet of Evolution and Uranus is the Planet of Revolution. When these two slow movers play together, serious shazam goes down. Such shazam includes the greatest armed revolutions in recent history: American Revolution, French Revolution, Boxer Rebellion, Taiping Rebellion, Russian Revolution, Fascist Revolution, height of World War, height of Vietnam, Philippines Peoples Revolt, etc.. Indeed we do now see revolution in the streets of Syria, Turkey, Brazil, Egypt, and beyond. There have even been significant revolutionary efforts in Mexico, Canada, and the United States (Occupy Movement). Not to mention the brutal current wars we are not even told about (look into the Congo, but please do so with a full heart).

Let us remember there are MANY TYPES OF REVOLUTIONS. The Planets now remind us we can apply this rEvolutionary energy positively if we choose. This current Uranus-Pluto Square is like the First Quarter Moon Stage (Conflict/Resolution) to the "New Moon" of these two Planets when they were Conjunct in Virgo from 1964-1968. Now is a time of tension to strengthen the spouts of the seeds that were planted then. Think of the many beautiful Revolutions that were born alongside the Vietnam War... organized protests, flower power, the Black Panthers, the Feminist movement, a return to indigenous spiritual practices, herbalism, Earth Day, Sgt. Peppers, etc. These are all key ingredients of the LOVE REVOLUTION that we are furthering today.

I believe it is up to us to manifest spiritual applications of this current rEvolutionary energy. The more divine rEvolution we initiate in our own lives, the less energy the wonky ruling wizards will have for their wars and unrighteousness.

When Saturn moved into Opposition to the Pluto-Uranus Conjunction in the 1960s, patriarchal rules, structure, and tradition saw to it that the Love Revolution was shut down through group identification as Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll. I believe this energy contributed to the assassination of JFK though that mysterious event occurred before the alignment. Kennedy bucked the system in too many revolutionary ways. Perhaps the most extreme was pushing through the printing of debt-free United States Notes. Mess with the Fed... you get dead. Ask Lincoln and his greenbacks about that.

The November 22nd, 1963 date of Kennedy's death has a very strong astrological tie to the present. At that time Chiron, the Shaman Healer, was at 10 degrees, 14 minutes Pisces. Chiron represents mentorship, but also the self-inflicted wound... a deep poison we bring in with us that can be alchemized into medicine. Once we've turned that lead into gold to heal ourselves, we carry the medicine always to heal others. This alchemy is the intent of our Chiron Return, which happens at age 50. Here we are 50 years from Keenedy's death and the Chiron Return to JFK's Exit runs February 25, 2013 to January 7th, 2014 with exact Conjunctions on March 13, 2013, September 30, 2013 and January 7, 2014.

The start date of this 9 month Kennedy Chiron Return was accompanied by 4 other major players in Pisces (Sun, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury). Days before on 3.10.13, Chiron was EXACTLY where it is today 10degrees10minutes Pisces and was among an incredible 7 planets in the sign of the fish (Sun, Neptune, Chiron, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon). And Mercury was in Retrograde... we'll get back to that.

For now, let's talk about Pisces, the archetype Shamanic Astrology classifies as Service to Spirit through the emotional waters of empathy. Pisces is the healer, the dreamer and visionary, the empathic shoulder to cry on, the bodhisattva. Pisces is the highest place of spirituality... awareness of our divine existence in the Oneness of All That Is. We are blessed at this time of rEvolution to have both planetary healers here in this Sign of healing and Spirit. Heavenly healer of vision - Neptune, and Underworld Shamanic Healer - Chiron.

Neptune orbits very slowly (it's trip around the Zodiac is about 165 years) so not all humans incarnate at a time when Neptune is at home in Pisces (expressed in the terminology of "traditional" astrologers as rulership, but Shamanic Astrology is shedding those patriarchal terms). We are fortunate to be experiencing this amplified Spiritual healing energy now at such an important time of soul growth. Chiron and Neptune are both holding healing space for our accelerated rEvolution towards ascension.

And so is Jupiter. As I mentioned above, the spiritual revolution seeded by the 1960's Pluto-Uranus Conjunction in Virgo was seemingly halted by Saturn's Opposition in Pisces. Fortunately, Saturn does not enter the crosshairs of the current Uranus-Pluto Square. It is instead expanded by Jupiter, which moved into exact alignment in early August, though the energy was available before and is still today. Jupiter, called Guru in India, brings opportunity and expansion. Jupiter aligns with the rEvolutionary Uranus-Pluto Square from the Sign of Cancer, the archetype Shamanic Astrology classifies as a Service to Others though the emotional waters of nurturing motherhood. Yes, the Big Guy in the Sky is wearing the archetype of the nurturing motherhood. This is a gigantic cosmic hug here to support us during this time of significant rEvolution.

Isn't it telling then that the current Virgo Moon Cycle hosted Full Moon illumination in Pisces and Last Quarter integration in Cancer? Another confirmation that Pisces empathy and Cancer nurturing are here to support us through this current Conflict/Resolution phase of rEvolutionary reawakening that was seeded in the 1960s. In Virgo.

But We're here to talk Libra, aren't we? Oh, right and I think I'm getting there. The Sun moved into Libra (Autumn Equinox) just three days after that 9.19.13 Pisces Full Moon. On 9.19.13, Pluto went direct in Capricorn after a five-month retrograde. It is no coincidence that Pluto stationed direct at 8 degrees, 59 minutes Capricorn in perfect Sextile (60degree alignment) to Scorpio Saturn.

Why does this matter? Saturn might not align to the 2012-2015 Uranus-Pluto Square, but during the exact same three-year period the great Ringed Rule Keeper transits the Sign of the Scorpion. Pluto and Saturn are in Mutual Reception because Pluto (currently transiting Capricorn) is the "ruler" of Scorpio and Saturn (currently transiting Scorpio) is the "ruler" of Capricorn. Amazing! This positive sextile alignment between the powerful energies of Saturn and Pluto say so much about how our collective consciousness can productively apply the this spiritual rEvolution.

The North Node on an individual's chart speaks to the forward direction of the soul. Therefore, on the global chart, it speaks to the forward direction of our collective consciousness. Three days before the Pisces Full Moon, on 9.16.13, Saturn Conjuncted the North Node in Scorpio, the archetype described by Shamanic Astrology as a Service to Self Growth through the waters of deepest felt emotions and expressions of passion, desire, and excitement. Scorpio is the witch, the shaman, the alchemist.

Saturn is the operating manual and this conjunction with the North Node in Scorpio shows us it is now time to rewrite the rules that have limited us from true emotional experience and expression. This Conjunction has not occurred in Scorpio since 1454, the beginning of the Burning Times. It is now time for us to revive the magic that was chased underground almost six hundred years ago. It is time for the Phoenix to rise from her ashes. This is how we're meant to productively apply this rEvolutionary energy, by allowing ourselves to truly experience and express our deepest emotions, passions, and desires. For that experience and expression will allow us to access our highest excitement, the voice of our highest selves leading us always to where we've intended to go.

It is no surprise that Venus, Goddess of Love, found herself in Conjunction with Saturn and the North Node in Scorpio on that first date of Scorpio return. The witch burned shall be the feminine scorned no longer. It is time to unlock the healing powers of our hearts!

Our open heart occupies one of the Scales as the Libra New Moon approaches, but what will be the counterbalance? As the Sun entered Libra at Autumn Equinox, the time of balance between all polarities (light and shadow, feminine and masculine, giving and receiving), Venus had furthered along her Scorpio transit in approach to perfect Square alignment with Leo Mars. The balance we develop during this Libra Cycle within this accelerated rEvolution of the Turning of the Ages will come alive as Sorceress dances with Lion King. The Human Heart will be counterbalanced by Divine Will!

As we open our hearts to our highest excitement we clear the old conditioning and belief systems that have limited us from igniting a burning Sun in our Solar Plexus. They're called Solar for a reason. We will channel our Divine Will through our star Sol right into our third chakra Hara, the center of our Life Force Energy. Let us set intentions Libra intentions during this October 4th New Moon Cycle to balance the Scales with fully activated Human Heart and Divine Will. We are Sorceress and Lion King. We are absolutely alive.

Days after the New Moon conjuncts Libra Sun, it will trigger Saturn, North Node, and Mercury in Scorpio on 10.6 and Scorpio Venus Square Leo Mars on October 7th. A week later, Mars will move into Virgo, where the Precession of the Equinoxes has relocated the Heart of the Lion, Regulus. On October 20th, two days after the Aires Super Full Moon penumbral eclipse, Sagittarius Venus will align with the Heart of the Scorpion, Antares. Masculine Mars with the Heart of the Lion, Feminine Venus with the Heart of the Scorpion. Sorceress and Lion king balance the Scales.

All while Saturn Conjunct North Node in Scorpio hold tight to a Trine with Pisces Chiron and loosely to a Grand Water Trine with Cancer Jupiter. This brings us back to Chiron, and mysterious, back to JFK though it's hard to say how he snuck into this play. When the Chiron Kennedy transit closes on January 7th, 2014, I'm sure I'll be called to write another faceBOOK like this because it's as astrologically alive as today. The Moon will Conjunct Uranus Aires just days after the Sun Conjuncts Capricorn Pluto, trigger another Grand Cardinal Cross of Aires Uranus/Moon, Capricorn Pluto/Sun, Cancer Jupiter, and Libra Mars.

Wow. Planetary Guidance makes my head spin. And I like it. If you've made it this far, I assume you do to and I'd love to share more of what I've been shown. You can find me presenting more information about the Uranus-Pluto Square through trickster story telling in Tacoma tomorrow (Wednesday 10.2) and on the Mysteries of the Moon and Libra in Seattle on Thursday 10.3 and in Portland this Friday 10.4 (Libra New Moon!). Details at the Events link below. My YouTube movie about the 7.29.13 Grand Sextile Star Gate to the Sacred Feminine activation of the Uranus-Pluto Square can be seen at the Movies link below, and I'm available for personal consultations where I'll translate your celestial fingerprint from a Shamanic Astrology perspective to help you relate your personal soul intent during this rEvolutionary Turning of the Ages. More information at the Services link below and more information about Shamanic Astrology below that. And below that a bit of Shakespeare (thanks to JJ for the lead).

PRINCE HENRYI know you all, and will awhile upholdThe unyoked humour of your idleness:Yet herein will I imitate the sun,Who doth permit the base contagious cloudsTo smother up his beauty from the world,That, when he please again to be himself,Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at,By breaking through the foul and ugly mistsOf vapours that did seem to strangle him.If all the year were playing holidays,To sport would be as tedious as to work;But when they seldom come, they wish'd for come,And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.So, when this loose behavior I throw offAnd pay the debt I never promised,By how much better than my word I am,By so much shall I falsify men's hopes;And like bright metal on a sullen ground,My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,Shall show more goodly and attract more eyesThan that which hath no foil to set it off.I'll so offend, to make offence a skill;Redeeming time when men think least I will.

Somewhere in the Space called right now Leo Mars Squares Scorpio Venus as the Goddess of Love Trines Cancer Jupiter Conjunct Moon. Nearby, Black Moon Lilith, the Goddess scorned heals in Grand Water Trine to Pisces Chiron and Scorpio Saturn Conjunct North Node...

Oh Hephaestus, what has she done? Your bride lies trapped in the arms of the only man who has ever charmed the heart sought by all.

Tortured Hephaestus, your children are his. Your wife Aphrodite has sprouted seeds planted, not by you, but by her lover Ares.

Poor Hephaestus, you've woven your net and captured their betrayal for all to ridicule.

But who has been shamed?

Sickened Hephaestus, our hearts bleed for you.

Release them Hephaestus. Look to the stars. I beg you. The time is now. Wash the scarlet letter from her brow. Release them, sad Hephaestus and release yourself.

Have compassion for the Goddess forced to wed without love. Is her pain not a mirror for yours? Release her shame, Hephaestus and release your own. The cripple who mother would not nurture. Forget not that you, stable Hephaestus, are a God.

Remember the Centaur, Hephaestus. Remember wise Chiron who sacrificed himself for the one most tortured. He learned to suffer and gave his life for the release of the fire bringer.

Add water to your fires, strong blacksmith. This is a time of highest alchemy. Embrace your poison now. Stir your cauldron with the light of an awakened heart. Forge your medicine and release yourself as you release her.

Hephaestus, sweet Hephaestus, you shall be freed. Forgive and embrace this great teacher called pain. The Shaman Centaur has come to breath new life into lungs too long filled with fury.

Beautiful Hephaestus, look to the sky and find Father Zeus focusing his ever-watchful stormy red eye through the lunar lens and smiling upon the hearts that have burned.

Saved Hephaestus, look to the sky and see your ringed grandfather Chronos scything systems that once stayed the Scorpion.

Brave Hephaestus, look to the sky and drink of rains to rinse your pain and quench your thirst.

Sweet rains of Heaven, wash us all. Scrub us with love, dry us with light, and allow us to be vulnerable once again.

This astrolonaut is weary of applying Planetary insights to world events, not only because I hesitate to become next in a long lineage of failed fortune tellers, but because I'm called to use the astrological arts for healing, and fortune telling is most certainly not that. One of my working principles states, "Astrology is not a way out, it is a way in." People ask me, "when will this Saturn thing let up?" They want to hear a date, but I say, "when you honor Her presence." People ask me, "when will life bring me love?" They want to hear a date, but I say, "when you love the life you live." Then, if they're ready for it, I suggest a few dates and emphasize strategies to participate with Planetary energies for the creation of greatest good. But, still, I am not about fortune telling.

That being said, I've recently been flooded with insights regarding the stormy world waters so I'm about to crystal ball some dates that emphasize crazy currents in the current crazy. No need to get all Nostradamical now. I'm not here to raise flags of fearful foreboding. Not at all. My aim in analyzing these alignments and events is to find my way to spiritual strategy for the empowerment of our collective alchemy. For it is WE who create the craze and WE who possess the power to propagate peace by dispelling the daze. If nothing else, this will be an interesting way to present principles of Shamanic Astrology and to dive into my devotion for releasing myself and other willing stellar swimmers from the limitations of star-vation.

We will begin and end with our closest friend. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you... The Moon. As my practice progresses, I find myself developing the ability to intuit others' archetypes, though it is not their Sun Sign I'm seeing, but rather their Lunar Lineage. Shamanic Astrology looks to the Moon as such. The Sign of the Moon and other secret sauces determine your lineage and, therefore, your natural gifts, skills, tools, habits, and expectations. Shamanic Astrology scores the Script of your Soul Path as a symphony in three movements... Lineage, Strategy, and Soul Intent. I will sing the tunes of present strengths and obstacles shown by the Strategy here to color current events and evaluate those events' currents.

This article will not focus on Lunar Lineage, though I will be presenting that information throughout the Northwest in October. What this article will do is establish a MoonBase, by which I mean to say we'll analyze the short cycle of Earth's satellite through the Zodiac and apply it's astrological energies to the grander current cycles of the outer planets.

Let's start with the significance of the four major Lunar phases... New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter. My love for language suggests I share the irony that Quarter Moon alignments give us Half Moons in the sky and my overall astronerdism requires I relay the following information: the Lunar cycle is actually Lunisolar, meaning it is an effect of the orbits of both Moon and the Sun. The Moon orbits the Earth and, therefore, completes one full trip through the constellations of the Zodiac every 27 days, but because the Sun is also moving through the Zodiac in the same direction, there are 29.5 days between New Moons.

New Moon occurs when the Moon's orbit positions it between Earth and the Sun. Astrologically, this is called Moon Conjunct Sun. Of course, we cannot see the New Moon because it is blinded by the Sun's light, but from our perspective on Earth, the Moon and Sun share the same position in the Zodiac during New Moon. The First Quarter Moon occurs about a week later when the Moon's orbit has taken it exactly 90 degrees from the Sun in the Zodiac. This is called Moon Square Sun in astrological terms. Let's call it the First Moon-Sun Square. Full Moon occurs in another week when the Moon is exactly 180 degrees away from the

Sun in the Zodiac or directly on the other side of Earth from the Sun. Astrology calls this Moon Opposition Sun. The Third Quarter Moon occurs about a week later when the Moon's orbit brings it within 90 degrees of the Sun's Zodiacal position. This is also called Moon Square Sun. We'll label it Final Moon-Sun Square to differentiate it from First Quarter.

I'll expand further upon conscious celebration of the Lunisolar cycle at the end of this article especially because the cycle beginning with New Moon tomorrow, September 5th, is key to conscious collaboration capable of calming the current crazy, but for now I'll say this: the Conjunction (New Moon) is a time for planting seeds of intention, the First Square (First Quarter Moon) introduces conflict and resolution to those intentions, the Opposition (Full Moon) illuminates them, and the Final Square (Last Quarter Moon) is a time for integrating what has been illumiated. This general four-stage psychological model can be applied to the much longer cycles of the outer planets with respect to each other as well.

For example, the most significant Outer Planet alignment of today is the Pluto-Uranus Square. Embellishing on a previous post entitled Crossing the Cardinal Grand:

"I'll be writing about the Pluto-Uranus Square again and again until it ends in 2015. Then I'll still be writing about it. It's about the biggest show in town. When these two planets play together... serious shazam goes down. I'm talking American Revolution, French Revolution, World War II, Vietnam, etc., etc., etc. You say you want a revolution? You got it!" But what kind of rEvolution do you want? It is your right as a divine soul to choose how you will you play with this Planetary energy in your life.

"This Pluto-Uranus Square can be seen as the First Quarter Moon phase of the 'New Moon' those outer-planet players created when they were conjunct in Virgo between 1964 and 1968. This means we are experiencing the conflict / resolution stage of what was seeded then. Vietnam, yes, but also War Protests, Black Planthers, Women's Rights, Earth Day, Herbalism, Hippies, and all sorts of other Revolutions. Virgo is about Service to Spirt through Sacred Work. Is is about true Independence... Undependence, I say. The seeds planted by the Ceremonial Virgo Priestess of our Collective Consciousness almost 50 years ago are being stressed today.

Pluto, the planet of Evolution, entered Capricorn in 2008. The financial crisis we experienced then was just the first sign of Capricorn being evolved back to the rightful, feminine nature of her Earth element. Capricorn is not the Father as the old astrological ways teach. It is feminine Earth energy... The Circle of Grandmothers, perhaps Gaia herself. It is not discipline as the old astrological ways teach. It is devotion. It is not this nonsense debt-based financial system. It is not the so-called law and order of this out-of-control Police State patriarchy we've manifested as an alarm clock. Capricorn is true law and order... Divine law and order...the order of nature and the She Goat will be returned to her rightful role as Wise Elder before Pluto rolls on to Aquarius in 2024.

Uranus, the planet of Revolution, first squared Pluto in 2012. They are tied in a dynamic dance that will feature seven precise 90-degree Square alignments before they spin free in 2015. The next exact square will happen this Halloween. Wear something special. Uranus is squaring Capricorn Pluto from the Sign of Aires, the house of the Warrior. Many will tell you this will be war in the streets and, indeed, that is going down in many, many more places than most of us are lending our attention to."

On August 21st, 2013 around 2:45 am, just as the Aquarius Blue Moon was approaching exact opposition to the Leo Sun, chemical weapons were unleashed in Irbin, Duma, and other Eastern suburbs of Damascus, Syria, killing nearly 1,500 civilians and public attention returned full sail to the Middle East... at least until Miley Cyrus humped a teddy bear at the MTV Video Music Awards four days later.

More than a year ago, on July 23rd, 2012 President Obama publicly warned Syria's President al-Assad that using chemical weapons would be a "tragic mistake." Obama repeated the warning one year before the attack on August 20th, 2012 saying deployment of chemical or biological weapons would be a "red line" for the United States and on December 3rd 2012, he sent a message to Assad that "the world is watching."

In June of this year, the White House vowed to increase aid to Syrian Rebels as Cancer Jupiter moved into the the crosshairs of the Uranus-Pluto Square bringing Expansion and Opportunity to this time of rEvolution. Last week, Libra Venus also moved into alignment with the Square to create a Cardinal Grand Cross as Secretary of State John Kerry saidall nations must stand up for accountability on the undeniable use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. "Let me be clear: The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity." If you don't know the astrological glyphs, the lines drawn on the chart to the right connect Cancer Jupiter (top left), Libra Venus (bottom left), Aires Uranus (top right), and Capricorn Pluto (bottom right) in a Cardinal Grand Cross.

Before he was elected President in 2008, Obama told the Boston Globe that no president should use military force without first getting Congressional approval unless there is an "actual or imminent threat to the nation." However, he certainly approved attacks on Libya without asking Congress in 2011. Perhaps attacking Syria poses a more "imminent threat to the nation" since China, Russia, and Iran have warned the US they would not tolerate a Syrian strike.

Last week, Parliament denied British Prime Minister David Cameron's request for military action in Syria. Can expect the same from US Congress? More importantly, why hasn't Obama called for an emergency Congressional meeting to vote on this decision now? He has instead announced a debate will be held when Congress returns from summer vacation September 9th. Seriously? Summer vacation is more important that a decision that could possibly provoke World War III?

My crystal ball cannot say what happened during his walk with Chief of Staff Denis McDonough that caused Obama to back off until he could win Congressional support, but perhaps an astrological analysis of the August 31st and September 9th charts can provide some insight.

It was not as "tight" on August 31st as Venus had begun moving along Her way, but The Grand Cardinal Cross still held. In fact, it's Cancer corner was bolstered by the Moon finding Her way to conjunction with Jupiter. It appears as if the Cancer archetype of the Nurturing Mother came through to stay the war hammer... at least for a time.

I'll translate the strengths and obstacles of the 8/31/13 Strategy as if I were reading this chart for a client. Those of you who have hired me for readings will find some of this language familiar. Shamanic Astrology reads the story of the Strategy in the placements of and alignments between the Personal Planets... the inner planets... those known to the ancients... those visible in the night sky. We start with the Sun. Unlike most astrological paradigms, Shamanic Astrology does not base the principle psychological archetype on the Sun Sign. We look to the Moon for the Linage, to the Ascendent or Rising Sign for the Soul intent and, for the movement in between, the Strategy, we look to Mars on a man's chart and to Venus on a woman's.

How about that Moon last night??? The third Super Moon is in full effect.

The New Moon seeding of today's Full Moon occurred in Cancer two weeks ago so now it is time for cosmic illumination of our nurturing gifts, time to deliver our creations into the community, and time to consciously create space for the birth of a new way.

Mercury ended his retrograde motion in Cancer on Saturday and is now looking forward to see a whole lot going on.

Goddess of Grace Venus moved into the sign of Virgo and the archetype of the Ceremonial Priestess this morning, but because the signs and constellations no longer line up, Venus can be seen after sunset brushing the heart of the Lion, the magical star Regulus. Let us celebrate the strength of the lioness. Earth and Fire.

Mars conjuncted Jupiter in Cancer last night, slowly making his way between Gaia and Zeus. Will this conjunction bring expansion to the warlike nature of Ares or will the masculine principle find new opportunities as a nurturing father? It is up to us to decide. Let us choose the heart of the lion. Fire and Water.

The Sun moved into Leo a couple of hours ago and the Full Aquarius Moon reached exact solar opposition at 11:17am in Seattle. For me, the Leo-Aquarius Axis always conjures images of the Sphinx.

The Leo Sun will set behind the Sphinx's Lion body this evening as the Aquarius Full Moon rises in front of its human gaze. Perhaps this Full Moon is a dress rehearsal for The Age of Aquarius, which will begin soon when the Sphinx's watchful eyes gaze upon the Vernal Equinox Sun rising in the constellation of the Water Bearer.

If so, we'll have two rehearsals this month because there will be two Aquarius Full Moons. This astrological equivalent of a blue moon (two full moons in the same sign) is rather rare. It is beyond interesting that the sign of Aquarius will also host the next two astrological blue moons, which will occur in 2021 and 2032.

Just what are we rehearsing for? What will the Age of Aquarius bring? The house of the Water Bearer is about expansion of cosmic consciousness; the eagle eye overview represented by Uranus, the Heavens. But Aquarius is also about revolution and new paradigms, better represented by Prometheus who defied the Gods by stealing fire to bring technology to mankind.

Perhaps technology is the key that will unlock the new age. Perhaps free energy will free us from the chains of war and greed. Yes, aquarius is an air sign, but he is the Water Bearer so this technology will not come from the intellect alone. Connecting to our emotional Water will allow us to breathe the Air of Spirit's Fire onto a new Earth.

The Lion sang, "If I only had a heart." Let's give him one and see what happens.

We are called to dive into the emotional depths of self and swim through the holes that holler for hugs. The more we feel, the more we heal. Hold faith that we are held in loving arms of realms above and below, supporting our opportunity to rewrite the rules restricting emotional experience and expression. Masculine and Feminine principles merge to birth an expanded us. Let's embrace ourselves and forward our expansion of the Wholy Trinity. Monkey Suit, Soul, and Spirit unite in loving passion.

Today marks the tightest alignment of the Grand Water Trine between Saturn Scorpio, Pisces Neptune, and Cancer Jupiter. The Moon further activated the Grand Trine last night while passing over Saturn and now Mars is creeping in by approaching exact conjunction with Jupiter in Cancer where Mercury is in the final few days of retrograde motion.

A Trine is a 120 degree aspect between planets and signifies a harmonious, constructive relationship between the two based on understanding or vision. A Grand Trine is an equilateral triangle formed between three planets in Trine aspect to one another. Check out the blue triangles in the attached photo. There are actually two Water Grand Trines going on.

Here are some super short looks at each of the players. I'll be going into much more detail in an upcoming post about the upcoming 7/29/13 Grand Water/Earth Sextile.

Trine 1:Neptune in Pisces - The planet of healing, vision and spirituality is at home in the sign of healing, vision, spirituality, and empathy.

Saturn in Scorpio - The planet of the operating manual is in the sign of deepest felt emotions, passions, and desires.

Jupiter and Mars in Cancer - The planet of opportunity and expansion and the planet of the masculine principle are in the sign of the nurturing mother.

Trine 2:Retrograde Mercury in Cancer - The messenger of mind and medicine traveling backwards through the sign of the nurturing mother.

Chiron in Pisces - The shamanic healer in the sign of healing, vision, spirituality and empathy.

North Node in Scorpio - The forward direction of soul growth in the sign of deepest felt emotions, passions, and desires.

SYNTHESIS - We are called to dive into the emotional depths of self and swim through the holes that holler for hugs. The more we feel, the more we heal. Hold faith that we are held in loving arms of realms above and below, supporting our opportunity to rewrite the rules restricting emotional experience and expression. Masculine and Feminine principles merge to birth an expanded us. Let's embrace ourselves and forward our expansion of the Wholy Trinity. Monkey Suit, Soul, and Spirit unite in loving passion.

With Love from the Octopus' Garden,Astrolonautwww.MoreThanAstrology.com

The Short Version:Many of us wear pretty thick armor. It’s difficult for us to truly allow nurturing in because we have been crushed in the past. We end up living in hard, protective shells that are too tight to accommodate another. Our partner or potential partner is trying to find their way in, but there’s just no room.

We won’t receive the nurturing we long for until we upgrade to a larger shell, but switching up is a truly vulnerable process. The Crab must expose its soft spots to switch shells. Scary stuff, right? The simple fact is that, whether we are looking to accommodate another or not, we will one day outgrow our current armor. Be brave… get out of there… you will be rewarded for your courage.

So make your move, Crab! The Sun, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury are all in Cancer to guard your soft spots during your relocation and almost all American houses are currently underwater so you should have many to chose from :)

The Long Version:I hope everyone had an amazing Solstice Supermoon Weekend.Let's get astrological, y'all.

The Sun has moved into a Grand Water Trine with Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. This is a short alignment that will bring more attention to the water world of deep emotion, passion, and desire and is planting seeds for the longer, deeper Grand Water Trine that starts in a couple of weeks when Jupiter moves in and for the rare Earth / Water Grand Sextile that kicks off at the end of July.

Mercury begins it's second 2013 retrograde on Wednesday. The Cancer Mercury Retrograde is 6/26 - 7/20. Does this mean you should avoid machinery, contracts, and important decisions for three weeks? Um... no. But you might lose an email or two to the ether and you will probably hear a few more sirens around town.

How is this retrograde likely to effect you? Mercury represents the thinking function, retrograde references the past, water signs are the place of emotions, Cancer is the archetype of the nurturing mother. Put it together… what does it spell?... a time to reflect upon and nurture past emotional experience. Time to lick some wounds, doggies.

All Mercury Retrogrades are in Water Signs this year. The February / March Pisces Retrograde brought the need for healing past emotional experiences to our spiritual awareness, this June / July Cancer Retrograde will bring the nurturing, the October / November Scorpio retrograde will bring… well, let’s rap about that later.

Jupiter enters Cancer today and will soon take the Sun's current place to set up a longer and deeper alignment of the current Grand Water Trine. This alignment starts around July 10th in the midst of the Mercury Retrograde Period. This Water Sign Grand Trine will be an equilateral triangle between Pisces in Neptune, Saturn in Scorpio, and Jupiter in Cancer.

Neptune is at home in the sign of Pisces. Both represent dreams, spirituality, empathy, and healing. Neptune has a 165-year orbit so not all humans are fortunate enough to experience the combined healing powers of Neptune in Pisces. You are. You are also experiencing Chiron, the great healer and mentor, in Pisces right now. It’s an absolute blessing to have this healing support during this extremely emotionally demanding time. Show some love to the fish and the centaur.

Much of the demands (and much of the reason why we have been experiencing a bit of an emotional ass kicking) lately can be credited to Saturn in Scorpio. Saturn entered Scorpio in June of 2012 and will be slowly transiting this sign of deepest felt emotional experience until September of 2015. Some trauma or hardship you buried years ago might be coming up now. Some behavior you thought you had graduated from might have resurfaced. Some demon you thought you had purged might hvae reappeared in a new mask. If you’re experiencing something along those lines… I commend you! You’re doing you’re work right on schedule. Honor yourself for your courage. There is a brilliant light at the end of this tunnel.

What is the work? It is the reintegration of your Shadow to become Wholy as Alan Watts so beautifully expressed it. I’ll be talking about this again and again in the coming weeks as it is the main focus of my developing theories about the Uranus Square Pluto we're experiencing. For now, I’ll say that you’ll be most effected currently if you have Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Ascendant, or Mid-Heaven somewhere between 0 and 15 degrees of Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus, or Leo. I’ll be giving some talks / workshops around town in July and August on how to best deal with this work and will certainly be inviting you to attend if you live in the Seattle area. Or you can message me to set up a reading. Saturn transits can feel like a piano just fell on you head, but they also bring amazing opportunities to rewrite rules that do not serve you.

Honoring our Shadow is essential to becoming ourselves and there is no greater gift or purpose in my book. That doesn’t mean it isn’t rough. The deeper you’re willing to tunnel down into the rabbit whole, the bigger the carrot you’ll resurface with, but that tunnel can get pretty dark. Here’s an intention I set during the Gemini New Moon a couple of weeks ago, which was illuminated by the Capricorn Full Moon this weekend, “Even when it feels like I’m losing, this is a fun game we’re here to play and I’m grateful to be on the board.”

Jupiter enters Cancer today and will stick around until July of 2014. This transit will bring expansion and opportunity to the nurturing principle, which I'll certainly be welcoming during this time of emotional healing and growth. I’m calling it the kickoff to cuddles, but I shouldn’t get too cute. If you feel like nurturing has been missing in your life or that the way you nurture others has been misaligned, you’ll have opportunity to sort that out.

Giving true nurturing requires us to first nurture ourselves. Receiving true nurturing demands vulnerability. This is where I really like the image of the Crab for Cancer even though the Crab is only given about two lines in Greek mythology... Hercules crushed Carcinus (the Crab) under his foot when he was battling the nine-headed serpent Hydra. For this, the Crab was rewarded with an eternal place in the heavens for some unknowable reason. Really? That’s it? Get crushed by Hercules, receive an eternal place in the Heavens? Show me to the foot of Hercules please.

I image I’ll have to take it back to the days of Egypt or Babylonia when the Zodiac was first established to find the true source of Cancer Crabdom. For now, I’ll say this. Many of us wear pretty thick armor. It’s difficult for us to truly allow nurturing in because we have been crushed in the past. We end up living in hard, protective shells that are too tight to accommodate another. Our partner or potential partner is trying to find their way in, but there’s just no room.

We won’t receive the nurturing we long for until we upgrade to a larger shell, but switching up is a truly vulnerable process. The Crab must expose its soft spots to switch shells. Scary stuff, right? The simple fact is that, whether we are looking to accommodate another or not, we will one day outgrow our current armor. Be brave… get out of there… you will be rewarded for your courage.

Will you get stepped on in the process? Perhaps, but I hear that will earn you an eternal place in the heavens so make your move, Crab! The Sun, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury are all in Cancer to guard your soft spots during your relocation and almost all American houses are currently underwater so you should have many to chose from :)

Summer Solstice is a time to celebrate the Sun for its eternal gifts of light and warmth. It's all about the Sun, son!

Short version: Welcome to More Than Astrology and thanks for coming through. The Summer Solstice is tonight at 10:04pm PST, Supermoon Sunday morning around 5:30am PST, Jupiter joins Sun, Venus, and Mercury in Cancer on Tuesday. It's the kickoff to cuddles!

Long version:I'm sending these somewhat scattered sentences from the last day of the Gemini month. Among other mysteries, the Twins represent eternal youth and intellectual pursuit of truth. Sometimes that pursuit can seemingly lead in too many directions at once. It can feel like we've found so many leads that we can't follow one of them so one intention I voiced during the Gemini New Moon a couple of weeks ago was, "These many branches I'm called to climb all emanate from the same trunk." I've said that many times recently when I've felt unfocused because sometimes the scatterbrain should be encouraged. Gemini is a wonderful time to ignite the many sparks of creation.

Tonight, the Sun moves into Cancer, the sign and archetype of the mother. The Cancer month is a beautiful time to give birth to those many Gemini sparks we've ignited and to nurture them into maturity. My intention this month is to officially birth my astrology business and MoreThanAstrology.com website. It's going to take a little bit of labor to deliver, but the contractions have begun. For now, if you'd like to know more about the astrological services I provide, please message me here at this facebook page where I'll be posting ideas about astrology, astronomy, mythology, mystery, and much more. Those ideas might sound something like this:

The word solstice is derived from the Latin words Sol (meaning Sun), and Sistere (meaning Stop, Stand). The Winter and Summer Solstices are the days the Sun Stands Still. Astronomically speaking, the Earth's northern axis points as close as it can to the Sun (about 23.5 degrees) on Summer Solstice. The visible results from the Northern Hemisphere are the longest day of the year, the highest solar zenith, and the northernmost sunrise and sunset.The ecliptic (apparent path of the sun and planets) reaches it's lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere on Winter Solstice then grows higher each day until it reaches it's maximum zenith on Summer Solstice where it stands still for three days before beginning it's six month descent.

The exact Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches 0 degrees Cancer on its annual trek around the Zodiac, which happens tonight 6.20.2013 at 10:04pm PST (6.21.2013, 1:04am EDT). This year we're blessed to have a Supermoon within the three-day solstice window. Supermoon is the biggest, brightest, baddest ass full moon of the year because it happens when the moon is closest to Earth (perigee) in it's elliptical orbit. The exact alignment of the Supermoon (perfect opposition to the Sun) occurs at 2 Degrees, 13 Minutes Capricorn on Sunday 6/23/2012 at 5:30am PST.

If you're bummed that the Solstice Sun alignment occurs after sunset tonight or that the Supermoon alignment occurs after sunrise on Sunday, I suggest you meet them in the middle. A perfect time to celebrate Solstice Supermoon will be at Sunset/Moonrise Saturday night. If you're lucky enough to be somewhere with horizon views in both directions, please send me some pictures. How to celebrate this alignment? It's your thing, do what you wanna do! I can't tell you who to sock it to. But if I could, I might suggest you sock the Sun and the Supermoon with some intentions of what you will create and deliver to the world at this year. Midwives are standing by. Might I also suggest you sock nicely? Intentions are answered when expressed with gratitude.